DKV Joventut will try to keep its momentum going when it hosts Telekom Bonn on Tuesday in Group D. Joventut has already clinched a berth in the Last 16 and will travel to Russia to face Unics Kazan next week with first place in the group on the line provided it wins or Unics loses this week. Meanwhile Bonn has been mathematically eliminated from reaching the next stage and will play its last two games for protocol only. The hosts come off a 108-92 blowout of Besiktas in which Uros Tripkovic led eight Joventut scorers in double figures with 20 points. The team shot 55.1% from downtown and outrebounded its opponent 41-31. Meanwhile Bonn lost a tough decision against Kazan 62-66 despite another solid effort from Bryce Taylor. When these teams met on opening night, Clay Tucker and Luka Bogdanovic scored 16 points apiece to lead Joventut to a 71-76 win. One common trait in those games was awful three-point shooting for Bonn, In fact, the team ranks last in the Eurocup in three-point shooting at 13.2%. Joventut is fourth in the competition at 46% and has made at least 9 triples in each game this season. Bonn has totaled 9 threes. The visitors will need the threes to start falling to open up their offense and have a shot at stealing a win in Badalona. Those stuck with the job are playmaker Jared Jordan, Taylor and small forward Ronald Dupree, who must also match up with Joventut’s deep roster starting with scoring guards Tripkovic and Tucker and point guards Mario Fernandez and Kristaps Valters, the latter of whom leads the competition with 7.5 assists per game. In the paint, Joventut leans on Alain Koffi, Edu Hernandez-Sonseca, Antonio Bueno and Henk Noreal among others on a very deep roster. Chris Ensminger, Tim Ohlbrecht and Patrick Flomo counter for the visitors. The statistics, roster depth and momentum all point in Joventut’s favor, but Bonn will aim to turn the tables on the home side and to finish the regular season with pride.
REFEREES: Gianpaolo Cicoria, Renaud Geller, Jasmina Juras